Project BudBurst blooms

Kirsten Meymaris and Sandra Henderson

After a successful debut last spring, Project BudBurst is back for good. This national “citizen science” campaign, which sends students, teachers, families, gardeners, and others outdoors to observe the budding, leafing, and blooming of trees and flowers, is now a year-round project.

Participants submit their records online, where they will be able to view maps of phenological events across the United States. (Phenology is the study of the timing of cyclical natural events, such as plant flowering or bird migration.) Researchers can tap into the BudBurst data to construct a more detailed picture of climate change.

“Climate change may be affecting our backyards and communities in ways that we don’t even notice,” says EO’s Sandra Henderson.

New this year for BudBurst are changes to the Web site. “We have made several key enhancements to the Web site to make participation more meaningful, including a ‘My BudBurst’ feature that allows participants to register and make additional observations throughout the growing season,” notes EO’s Kirsten Meymaris.

Plant and animal species around the world are feeling the heat from climate change. Some plants respond to warmer temperatures by extending their growing seasons, while others shift their ranges toward the poles or to higher elevations.

A collaboration of numerous institutions around the country, Project BudBurst is a Windows to the Universe citizen science event.